How to Avoid Garage Door Break-Ins
There is no time like the present to make your home more protected. These are uncertain times. Beyond taking care of your health and the health of your loved ones, making sure your home is safe and secure is definitely at the top of the priority list. It never hurts to take extra precautions. The garage is one of the first-lines of defense for your home. Admit it — isn’t it satisfying to see that garage door come down like the iron gate of a fortress? Yet few homeowners go the distance to ensure their garage doors are secure and well maintained. Aside from the front and back doors, and first-floor windows, the garage is a popular point of entry for most burglars. Not only do robbers get to pilfer all of the valuables and goodies that are in the garage, but they can easily gain access to the main home if further security measures aren’t already in place. So how can you secure your garage so that you can rest easy at night knowing your home is safe from intruders? Here are some tips to keep the thieves out, your belongings safe, and your family secure inside your home. How to Avoid Garage Door Break-Ins When thieves are looking to break into your home, they look for vulnerabilities. Unfortunately, the garage is often an access point for thieves. But by using some common sense and security measures, you can help thwart burglars’ efforts to get into your home. Don’t Leave Your Garage Door Remote in Your Car When It’s Parked Outside – Probably the most obvious no-no, don’t leave the garage door remote in your car when it is parked outside of your home or in the driveway. It seems like a no-brainer, but you would be surprised how many homeowners make this mistake. We are creatures of habit and tend to think that we are safe in our neighborhoods, especially in and around our homes. While you are almost always safe, it doesn’t mean that you should leave yourself open to being burglarized. By not leaving your garage door remote on full display on the dash or middle console of your car, you take that vulnerability off the table and could prevent a possible break-in. Key Chain Garage Door Remote – It’s all too easy for a thief to break into your car to get into your home. Invest in a key chain remote garage door opener if you don’t have one already and keep it on your person at all times. Getting in the habit of treating your garage door remote like any other key to your home, will decrease your odds of having your garage broken into or losing the remote. Don’t Leave Your Garage Door Remote Clipped to the Car Visor – We’ve all seen garage door remotes clipped to car visors. This is just inviting potential thieves to break into your car. And not only that, but it gives them access to your garage and possibly your home too. So take the garage remote off of your visor and store it somewhere out of sight. Sturdy Garage Door – There is no doubt that a high-quality, sturdy garage door is a deterrent for robbers. Lightweight garage doors aren’t necessarily bad, but it all depends on the quality of material being used. Make sure to purchase a garage door that is strong, sturdy and can hold up under blunt force. This isn’t just helpful in a burglary scenario, but also in severe weather. You want your garage door to be able to stand up to a little abuse. Don’t Leave Garage Door Open – Don’t leave your garage door open, even when you’re home either. It just makes it too easy for someone to grab your property and run. This is an all too common mistake. Thankfully there are solutions. Newer garage door openers have the ability to be closed remotely from your smartphone if you somehow forget to close it when you leave for work. Utilize the Lock Button Feature – This is a simple concept. Just like you lock your doors at night, you’ll want to lock your garage door so it cannot be opened manually in the middle of the night. All too often thieves use a crowbar to jimmy a garage door open. This puts an end to that. The lock button feature is designed to prevent both manual and remote access to your garage. Upgrade Your Garage Door Opener – Thieves are constantly scheming to find new ways into a victim’s home. On the flip side, homeowners and garage door manufacturers are also stepping up their efforts to make the family home more secure. If your garage door opener is dated, it could make you vulnerable. Burglars have gotten in the habit of trying to control automatic garage door openers by using the code. Older garage door openers typically use the same code. Modern garage door openers now offer a rolling code that offers a different combination of numbers every time you open it with your garage door remote. Another option is to get a smart garage door opener that is equipped with MyQ technology. This allows you to open and close your garage door from anywhere via your smartphone. Cover & Protect Your Garage Windows – Garages with glass windows are a favorite of thieves. They will often break the glass and trip the emergency release with a coat hanger. You can fortify your emergency release with zip ties making it hard to release with a coat hanger but can still be pulled in case of an emergency. If your garage has glass windows, make sure they are frosted or tinted so it’s not easy to see in. Clear windows allow anyone to see if there is a car in the garage or not. For added protection, consider installing iron bars on either side of your garage’s windows. This will provide you with additional security. Secure Your Interior
Best Chamberlain Garage Door Openers for Your Home
Automatic garage door openers make life much simpler. Let’s not kid ourselves, having to pull into your driveway and physically lift a heavy garage door is just a hassle. Not only is it tough on your back and time consuming, but if the weather isn’t being agreeable, you can find yourself stuck in a downpour as you raise and lower your manual garage door. While your garage door springs do a lot of the heavy lifting, garage door openers make it possible to remotely will your garage door open and close at the touch of a button. What’s more is garage door manufacturers are integrating modern technologies into newer garage door models, making it possible to pair with your smartphone. If you haven’t found the need to replace your existing garage door opener until now, you’re in luck! We’ve compiled a list of the best, most affordable and tech-savvy Chamberlain garage door openers on the market today. This short guide will help you find the perfect Chamberlain garage door opener to suit your lifestyle and budget. Best Chamberlain Garage Door Openers for Your Home Garage door openers need to fulfill a few basic functions. Quick and quiet access, remote capabilities, and be outfitted with a motor that is powerful and reliable. Chamberlain tops several lists for best garage door openers in the industry. Here are several of their best sellers. Chamberlain B970 – Best Overall – The Chamberlain B970 ranks on the best overall list due to its 360 degrees of strength, power, connectivity and whisper-quiet operation. Powerful Motor – The Chamberlain B970 earns high marks for horsepower. Equipped with a powerful 1 ¼ horsepower drive, it provides homeowners with the power they need to quickly get in and out of their garage easily and safely. Built-in Backup Battery – Built-in backup batteries are a very useful perk if there is a power outage or power surge. If bad weather hits and knocks out the power, you can have peace of mind that your vehicle won’t be stuck in the garage in times of an emergency. Quiet Operation – Because the B970 is belt-driven and reinforced with steel, it allows for smooth and quiet operation. This is especially useful for busy families and parents that work late. No need to wake the dog or entire brood if you’re coming home late from the office. Wi-Fi Enabled – Chamberlain made this model with connectivity and convenience in mind. The Chamberlain myQapp and MyQ technology is a high-tech feature that allows homeowners to use their smartphone to open and close their garage door remotely. You can also put it on a timer, or open it remotely for secure deliveries. You’ll never have to worry about porch pirates with the Chamberlain B970. Lifetime Warranty – The lifetime warranty on the Chamberlain B970 is about as good as it gets. It comes with a lifetime warranty on the garage door opener motor and belt, and a 5-year warranty on the garage door opener parts. Chamberlain WD832KEV – Best Overall – The Chamberlain WD832KEV is a popular choice among homeowners because of its overall functionality and affordability. For those that don’t have the need or desire to link your smartphone to your garage door, this is a great choice both in price and strength. Reliable & Affordable – Due to the streamlined design and quality parts, this garage door opener gets gold stars for reliability. Because the WD832KEV lacks the high-tech features of others, making it more affordable for families on a budget. Quiet Operation – This garage door opener offers ½ horsepower of pick-up power and is much quieter than other chain drive garage door openers due to Chamberlain’s Motor Vibration Isolation System. This absorbs added vibrations to minimize the clamor that most garage doors make. Safety – This go-to garage door opener was made with safety in mind. It comes equipped with the Posilock antitheft mechanism that protects your garage, and ultimately your home, from forced entry. Chamberlain C205 – Best Budget – If affordability is your main concern, then this is the garage door opener for you. The Chamberlain C205 may be considered a budget-friendly garage door opener but that doesn’t mean it lacks power and ability. The C205 also comes with the antitheft system and the MyQ garage door technology can be integrated as an add-on. For under $150, it is easy to see why new homeowners gravitate towards this as a starter garage door opener. Chamberlain C870 – Best Wi-Fi Enabled, Smart Garage Door Opener – This is a great choice for those that like all things high-tech. The Chamberlain C870 is widely considered a smart garage door opener, and for good reason. The built-in Wi-Fi capabilities ensure that you’ll never leave your garage door open again. No need to purchase the MyQ add-on, Chamberlain’s MyQ technology is already installed and ready to go. You can also fully integrate your garage door into any smart home system. Now homeowners can use Google Home, Nest, Wink, IFTTT, or Xfinity Home to control their garage door remotely. Call Precision Garage Door Las Vegas for Chamberlain Garage Door Opener Installation and Repair Precision Garage Door Las Vegas is focused on customer satisfaction and only carries the very best garage door brands and accessories. We understand that poorly installed garage doors or garage door openers can mean putting homeowners at risk of injury or damages to their garage door. That’s why we have partnered with Chamberlain to bring our customers a wide variety of exceptional garage door openers. As a trusted distributor of Chamberlain garage door openers, Precision Garage Door carries a wide variety of models. We honor warranties and service all Chamberlain products. If your current garage door opener is giving you problems, doesn’t have Wi-Fi connectivity and makes a racket when it opens and closes, maybe it is time to give Precision Garage Door Las Vegas a call. Become one of the thousands of satisfied customers today. For assistance with a
How to Find & Maintain Your Garage Door Springs
One could argue that you likely enter your home through the garage more frequently than the front door, effectively making the garage the main point of entry for your home. While manual garage doors are a thing of the past, homeowners now rely on garage door springs, garage door openers, motors and rollers to do the heavy lifting for them. Garage doors are one of the heaviest appliances and take a great deal of power to raise and lower. Since the sheer weight of your garage door can put serious wear and tear on all of the parts, it is important that you stay knowledgeable about how to locate and properly maintain all the parts of your garage door. This will help prevent your garage door from going off its track, malfunctioning and possibly having to be replaced entirely. One of the most central mechanisms and vital parts of any garage door is the torsion springs. As you can imagine, these springs are constantly under pressure, expanding and compressing, as they pull your garage door up and down. Knowing how to properly care for and maintain your garage door springs is critical to the longevity of your garage doors. How to Locate Your Garage Door Springs Now that you know how important garage door springs are, let’s explain what they look like and how to identify them. That way you can locate them when it is time to conduct your routine garage door maintenance. How to Spot a Garage Door Spring – Garage door torsion springs look like cylindrical metallic canisters that resemble a long coil. Most garage door springs are about two feet long, but never exceed four feet in length, and are almost always colored black. If you’re looking for a spring that isn’t currently mounted on a garage door, you should also know that these devices have a small circular opening on each side. This opening admits a thin rod, and it is 1/2 inch wide. Where to Find Your Garage Door Springs – You might be asking yourself, “Where are the garage door springs in my garage door?” There are two different types of garage door springs that appear in either of two places in your garage. Torsion springs, the most common, are fastened just above the garage door when it is in a closed position. The other is extension springs and are located on both sides of the garage door above the upper tracks. Why Garage Door Springs Malfunction Your garage door goes through significant strain every time it is willed up and down again. That is why it is so important to maintain all of the parts in your garage door so that it can work properly for years to come. Here are some common reasons your garage door may start to act strangely or malfunction. All of these are easily prevented by conducting regular home maintenance. Standard Wear & Tear – The most common reason garage doors malfunction is due to a broken torsion spring from yearly wear and tear. Garage door springs take the brunt of the heavy lifting, which leads to them degrading over time. If installed correctly, a garage door spring should last up to 10,000 cycles before it needs to be replaced. Kind of like a rubber band that has been stretched one too many times. They are bound to wear out, but you can take measures to help them last longer. There are some high-quality, extended-use garage door springs that are more durable and have a longer life expectancy. Poor Maintenance – Again, it comes down to maintenance. Aside from wear and tear, poor maintenance can cause your garage door springs to malfunction. When you properly tend to your torsion springs, it can extend their life. Overlooking and neglecting your garage door springs can lead to them breaking and possibly damaging your garage door. Rust Buildup – This is an inevitability as time goes on, especially in certain climates or homes located next to a body of saltwater. Regularly spraying your garage door springs with substances like WD-40 should keep the rust from building up and protect your garage door springs from the elements. How to Maintain Your Garage Door Springs Your garage door should absolutely be on the shortlist of quarterly or yearly home maintenance tasks. When it comes time to conduct maintenance on your garage door, you’ll need a few things to get the job done. What Tools You Will Need – You’ll need a sturdy ladder, a file used for metal grinding or hard surfaces, and a can of WD-40 or an anti-rust or mechanical lubricant product. Disconnect Garage Door Opener – Make sure there is no power running to your garage door opener. Refer to your manual to find out the easiest and safest way to unplug your garage door opener, remove the battery or turn it off. Again, referring to your manual, detach the garage door opener from the opening mechanism. Go in for a Closer Look – Time to bust out the ladder and sturdy it near the garage door opener’s shaft. You can spot it at the top of the garage door and there is a long bar that has springs wrapped around it, with brackets at either side. Inspect this bar to see that the shaft is rotating smoothly. If it isn’t, it may be best to call a professional garage door technician to properly fix this issue. Check Mounting Bracket – You will be able to find this bracket where the torsion springs are bolted together. Again check to see that the mounting bracket is secure and that the torsion shaft rotates with ease. If you notice any corrosion, grime or build-up, use a file to smooth it out. Lube Your Garage Door Springs – If you have done the above steps and everything seems in good working order, it is time to properly lubricate your garage door springs. This is something that you should try to
Top 5 Reasons to Choose LiftMaster Garage Door Openers
In the world of garage door openers, no other brand comes close to replicating the superior craftsmanship and functionality that LiftMaster offers. They truly are the best garage door opener in the industry. With top-of-the-line safety features and the ability to control your garage door from your smartphone, it is easy to see why LiftMaster is the trusted choice in garage door openers. Most people confuse the garage door opener with the garage door remote. To clarify, the garage door opener is the mechanism mounted on the ceiling (or wall) of your garage that opens and closes your garage door. It comes equipped with a sturdy motor that is designed to effectively lift heavy objects. Since your garage door is one of the heaviest features in your home, you’ll want to install a garage door opener that won’t buckle under the daily wear and tear. LiftMaster offers exactly that, power, reliability and innovative design. LiftMaster is the top choice of contractors throughout the United States and is one of the most notable brands on the market today. Their vast selection of products stand out for many reasons, let’s review some of the benefits of installing a LiftMaster garage door opener in your home or commercial property. Top 5 Benefits of LiftMaster Garage Door Openers Latest Technology – When you install one of the newer LiftMaster garage door openers, you’ll be treated to convenience. LiftMaster offers MyQ technology on some of their models. If you’ve ever worried that you may have forgotten to close your garage door, well now you don’t have to. MyQ enabled garage door openers take the worrying out of the equation. With a simple swipe of your smartphone or mobile device, you can remotely control your garage door from miles away. And that’s not all. You can also be alerted to any activity involving your garage door and program your garage door to turn the lights on and off at certain times of the day/night. Superior Safety Features – LiftMaster treats safety as a priority and wants to ensure that your garage door keeps your family and belongings safe at all times. With a 550+ safety score and certified in UL 325 compliance, LiftMaster meets the industry’s highest safety standards for garage doors and gate systems. Their signature security features make them the #1 garage door opener for homeowners. With the integration of Wi-Fi connectivity and smartphone control capabilities, being able to control your garage door from miles away is just another useful safety measure to reassure you when you’re away from home. Reliability – Efficiency and reliability are among LiftMaster’s most redeemable qualities. For over 45 years, LiftMaster continues to roll out better designs, earning them a rock-solid reputation among residential and commercial clients for making high-quality products. All models come equipped with backup batteries so you’ll never have to worry about getting stuck, and the powerful P3 Motors set them far and away from their competitors. Easy to Mount – LiftMaster garage door openers are very user-friendly and easy to mount. All of their openers are designed with the user in mind. They even have gone above and beyond to craft wall-mounted garage door openers to accommodate property owners that have garages with low ceilings. Quiet Operation – LiftMaster is one of the quietest garage door openers on the market. Nothing is worse than being woken up in the middle of the night by a loud and clunky garage door opener. These garage door openers are designed with ease in mind, so as long as you properly maintain the springs on your garage door, your LiftMaster will run smoothly for years to come. Call Precision Garage Door Las Vegas for Liftmaster Installation and Repair Precision Garage Door Las Vegas is focused on customer satisfaction and only carries the very best garage door brands and accessories. We understand that poorly installed garage doors or garage door openers can mean putting homeowners at risk of injury or damages to their garage door. That’s why we have partnered with LiftMaster to bring our customers a wide variety of exceptional garage door openers. As a trusted distributor of LiftMaster, Precision Garage Door carries a wide variety of models. We honor warranties and service all LiftMaster products. If your current garage door opener is giving you problems, doesn’t have Wi-Fi connectivity and makes a racket when it opens and closes, maybe it is time to give Precision Garage Door Las Vegas a call. Become one of the thousands of satisfied customers today. For assistance with a new garage door opener or if you’re looking to replace your old garage door, use our interactive Garage Door Designer or contact us directly at 702-637-2700 Our garage door installation experts can answer your questions or schedule a free in-home estimate.